Temperature-induced physiological stress and reproductive characteristics of the migratory seahorse during a thermal stress simulation.
Geng Qin, Cara Johnson, Yuan Zhang, Huixian Zhang, Jianping Yin, Glen Miller, Ralph G Turingan, Eric Guisbert, Qiang Lin
Author Information
Geng Qin: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.164 Xingangxi Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510301, China.
Cara Johnson: Department of Biological Science, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
Yuan Zhang: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.164 Xingangxi Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510301, China.
Huixian Zhang: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.164 Xingangxi Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510301, China.
Jianping Yin: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.164 Xingangxi Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510301, China.
Glen Miller: Department of Biological Science, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
Ralph G Turingan: Department of Biological Science, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
Eric Guisbert: Department of Biological Science, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
Qiang Lin: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.164 Xingangxi Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510301, China linqiangzsu@163.com. ORCID
Inshore-offshore migration occurs frequently in seahorse species, either because of prey opportunities or because they are driven by reproduction, and variations in water temperature may dramatically change migratory seahorse behavior and physiology. The present study investigated the behavioral and physiological responses of the lined seahorse under thermal stress and evaluated the potential effects of different temperatures on its reproduction. The results showed that the thermal tolerance of the seahorses was time dependent. Acute thermal stress (30°C, 2-10 h) increased the basal metabolic rate (breathing rate) and the expression of stress response genes ( genes) significantly and further stimulated seahorse appetite. Chronic thermal treatment (30°C, 4 weeks) led to a persistently higher basal metabolic rate, higher stress response gene expression and higher mortality rates, indicating that the seahorses could not acclimate to chronic thermal stress and might experience massive mortality rates due to excessively high basal metabolic rates and stress damage. Additionally, no significant negative effects on gonad development or reproductive endocrine regulation genes were observed in response to chronic thermal stress, suggesting that seahorse reproductive behavior could adapt to higher-temperature conditions during migration and within seahorse breeding grounds. In conclusion, this simulation experiment indicates that temperature variations during inshore-offshore migration have no effect on reproduction, but promote significantly high basal metabolic rates and stress responses. Therefore, we suggest that the observed high tolerance of seahorse reproduction is in line with the inshore-offshore reproductive migration pattern of lined seahorses.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
